Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Best Of 2015

The Best Of 2015

Well, another year has gone, and while I haven’t managed
to dedicate much time to my much neglected computer (Which is a good thing I
guess, as I’ve spent a lot more time with the family this year!), I have been
keeping up to date with what 2015 has had to offer on the music front.

So without any fanfare, here my personal take on the best
ten releases 2015 has produced. Oh, and it goes without saying, they’re in no
particular order.

Killing Joke – Pylon (Spinefarm Records)

U.K. industrial punk/rock outfit Killing Joke have only
gone from strength to strength since the original line-up reformed some five
years ago. Combining the aggressive and dense atmosphere of 2006’s ‘Hosannas
From The Basements Of Hell’ with the melodic overtones of 2012’s ‘MMXII’,
‘Pylon’ is Killing Joke at their best, with tracks such as ‘Dawn Of The Hive’,
‘New Cold War’, ‘War On Freedom’ and ‘Delete’ proving that there’s plenty of
life left in the cult outfit some thirty-five years after the release of the
debut effort.

Symphony X – Underworld (Nuclear Blast Records)

This New Jersey based progressive/power metal outfit have
always delivered consistent and strong albums, and ‘Underworld’ is no
exception. And while I’ve enjoyed the band’s last couple of releases, I can’t
help but feel that the keen sense of melody and heaviness is back with a force
not heard since their 2002 masterpiece ‘The Odyssey’. ‘To Hell And Back’ and
‘Without You’ are my picks.

Chaos Divine – Colliding Skies (Firestarter Music)

Over the last decade, Australia’s progressive rock/metal
scene has really started to produce some truly world class acts. And Perth
outfit Chaos Divine is one of them. Although I’ve enjoyed moments on their
first couple of albums, it’s with their third effort ‘Colliding Skies’ that has
really caught my attention. Casting aside the metallic aspect of their sound
for something a bit more melodic, the band shine on gems such as ‘Landmines’,
‘Badge Of Honour’ and ‘The Shepherd’.

Amorphis – Under The Red Cloud (Nuclear Blast Records)

Given how much I loved 2013’s ‘Circle’ (Along with my
son, who ranks the album as one of his favourites!), I was a little
apprehensive about the Finn’s latest effort. And after my first run through the
album, I can say that I was a little underwhelmed. But over time, it was clear
that the album wasn’t a carbon copy of their last release, but an album that
showcased the band’s willingness to step outside their comfort zone and try on
some new sounds. From the aggression of ‘The Skull’, the Middle Eastern tinged
‘Death Of A King’ to the heavy and melodic title track, ‘Under The Red Cloud’
is a worthy follow-up to their highly acclaimed ‘Circle’.

Armored Saint – Win Hands Down (Metal Blade Records)

Armored Saint has always been a reliable act who delivers
rock solid albums. Sure, some are stronger than others, but they’ve never
released what you would call a bad album. And in my personal opinion, this
album is up there with their best. It’s clear that the veteran band set out to
make an album that combines all the best elements of the band’s sound, but with
a slant more towards the future than the past. And it worked! ‘Win Hands Down’
is a powerful opener, while ‘Mess’ and the guitar driven ‘With A Full Head Of
Steam’ are classic Armored Saint. But in terms of personal favourites, you
can’t go past ‘Muscle Memory’ and ‘That Was Then, Way Back When’.

The Night Flight Orchestra - Skyline Whispers (Coroner
Records)

The best way to sum up The Night Flight Orchestra’s sound
is to combine the muscle of ‘70’s hard rock with equal measure of the
slick/cheesiness of the ‘80’s. Although my description probably doesn’t sound
all that appealing, ‘Skyline Whispers’ is probably the best album never
recorded from that bygone classic era of rock! Almost everything is a winner on
this release, but ‘Living For The Nighttime’, ‘Stilletto’ and the amazing ‘I
Ain’t Old, I Ain’t Young’ are the cuts worthy of singling out.

Chris Cornell – Higher Truth (Universal Music
Enterprises)

Seemingly influenced by the vibe and feel of 2011’s live
album ‘Songbook’, ‘Higher Truth’ is a largely stripped back/intimate
semi-acoustic affair. And one that draws out the best within Cornell both
vocally and in the song writing sense. Anyone who still remains skeptical of Cornell's ability to deliver in solo form after his critically panned 'Scream' album from 2009 need only check out 'Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart', 'Dead Wishes', 'Let Your Eyes Wander' and the title track 'Higher Truth'.

Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat (Century Media
Records)

Grindcore isn’t a genre that’s known for its innovation
or reinvention, but then Napalm Death isn’t your average grindcore outfit. With
every new release, Napalm Death seems to deliver the goods with every new
album, and ‘Apex Predator – Easy Meat’ is another stellar release from the
veteran act. There’s a bit of everything on offer here, from the somewhat
melodic (‘Smash A Single Digit’), the experimental (‘Dear Slum Landlord...’ and
‘Adversarial / Copulating Snakes’) and the downright crushing (‘Timeless
Flogging’ and ‘Stubborn Stains’), with an overall effect that both crushing and
thoroughly enjoyable at the same time.

The Neal Morse Band – The Grand Experiment (Inside Out
Records)

As good as Neal Morse’s solo efforts have been, I can’t
help but feel a little magic is missing on them over the last few years. So
entering into ‘The Grand Experiment’, I wasn’t expecting too much. But damn me
if Morse hasn’t delivered one of his best in years. There’s something to be
said for capturing that something special on the spur of the moment in the
studio, and this album has plenty of energy, spark and creativity to prove it.
‘The Call’ is without a doubt a great opener, but it’s the title track and
‘Waterfall’ that really stand out.

The Winery Dogs – Hot Streak (Three Dog Music)

The Winery Dogs’ debut effort was a solid release, but
primary sounded exactly like it did on paper. That is Richie Kotzen’s vocals
and guitars blended with Billy Sheehan’s trademark bass drills and Mike
Portnoy’s drumming. But on ‘Hot Streak’, the trio has well and truly pushed
their sound forward, and delivered an album that boasts a bit more of a unique
personality and identity. Top picks include ‘War Machine’, the title track,
‘Oblivion’ and the totally rocking ‘Captain Love’. Fans of the band’s debut
have to pick this one up!

Top Ten Songs For 2015

O.K., so this is really a list of my top twenty releases
for 2015. But unlike the albums that made up my top ten list, these releases
weren’t quite as strong as a whole to make the final cut. But having said that
there are some great songs on these albums, which make them more than worthy of
a special mention.

Ghost - His Is (From ‘Meliora’)

I’ll freely admit that Ghost’s third full-length release
missed the mark with me. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it just hasn’t
grabbed me like the two former releases did. But if there’s one track that does
stand out it’s ‘He Is’. How could you not love a song dedicated to Statan
delivered in what can only be described as pure pop genius? Love the guitar
work, the harmonies and the lyrics on this one.

Blackberry Smoke - Let Me Help You (Find The Door) (From
‘Holding All The Roses’)

I’m not a huge fan of country rock, but Blackberry Smoke
is one of the few exceptions. The acoustic direction of their latest album
suits them well, and this opening track is an absolute blast! I particularly
love it when the guitar solos kick in, and the message within the song.

Black Star Riders – Blindsided (From ‘The Killer
Instinct’)

This was without a doubt a solid second release from
Black Star Riders, but perhaps a little too similar in sound and direction to
their debut to really stand out enough. But when the band did step out of their
comfort zone, they came up with some great stuff. ‘Blindsided’ is a prime
example of this. Ricky Warwick is at his best on tracks like this, and the band
is in moody classic rock form throughout.

Moonspell – Extinct (From ‘Extinct’)

Portugal’s Moonspell can be a bit hit and miss at times,
but when they get it right, they really do get in right. The title track from
their latest release is the perfect balance of gothic metal and melodic death
metal, with subtle progressive/symphonic influences seeping into the mix. Harsh
guitars, Fernando Ribeiro’s varied vocal approaches and the eclectic mix of
musical diversity on this one track is everything you could ask from the band.

Clutch – Firebirds! (From ‘Psychic Warware’)

There’s not a real lot to say here. When Clutch is on
fire, they’re on fire! They’re one of the few bands out there that can deliver classic
guitar driven hard rock without sounding like it’s been done before (Even if
everything has been done under the sun!). Another great album from the band,
and ‘Firebirds!’ is a good indication of what’s offered throughout.

Bill Ward – Ashes (From ‘Accountable Beasts’)

Bill Ward has always been somewhat left of centre on the
musical scale, and ‘Accountable Beasts’ is no exception. Quite experimental and
different from what Black Sabbath fans would expect, I have grown to love all
of Ward’s sole releases, including his latest effort. ‘Ashes’ is the most
aggressive and metallic anything Ward has ever released, and just one of my
favourites on the new album, even if the production and mix are a bit off
putting.

Soto – The Fall (From ‘Inside The Vertigo’)

Jeff Scott Soto is quite the chameleon, with his vast
resume covering everything from pop/rock, progressive rock, power metal and
everything in-between. His latest project (Simply titled Soto) is more along
the lines of hard rock with a modern edge, and it’s a rocker. ‘The Fall’ is a
good taste of what this outfit has to offer, with plenty of guitar riffs,
powerful vocals (Of course) and lots of modern groove.

Tremonti – Arm Yourself (From ‘Cauterize’)

Mark Tremonti has certainly been working around the
clock, with barely a moment spared between releases from Alter Bridge and his
own solo efforts. Not unlike 2012’s ‘All I Was’, ‘Cauterize’ is an album of
tracks that are primarily guitar driven and rock hard. Although there no huge
leap of sound from his first album and this new one, tracks such as ‘Arm
Yourself’ do stand out enough to overlook any real disappointment.

Queensrÿche – Hellfire (From ‘Condition Hüman’)

I had high hopes for the new Queensrÿche album, but while
it’s a good album, it doesn’t quite eclipse their self-titled release from a
couple of years ago (Except on the production side of things). But that’s not
to say that it doesn’t have its great moments. ‘Hellfire’ is an absolute
throwback to the band’s glory days (1984 through to 1994), but with a distinct
lean towards the future in places. Great vocals from Todd La Torre, some nice
lead breaks and a catchy chorus cleverly masking the dark undertones in the
verses, all of which sounds like classic Queensrÿche.

Steven Wilson – ‘Happy Returns’ (From ‘Hand. Cannot.
Erase.’)

I love Steven Wilson, but for some reason, I found his
latest effort a bit of a struggle to fully enjoy from start to finish. Maybe it’s
just me and where my head has been at (Or isn’t?) whenever I go to listen to the
album. But either way, I can still find a lot of favourite moments on the
album, and its songs like ‘Happy Returns’ where Wilson really shows what he’s
capable of. All of Wilson’s trademarks are here - Beautiful melodies, haunting
lyrics and some truly outstanding guitar work. In short – Genius!